Lakers vs. Celtics

1st Half:

Fisher is done, and this coach is riding him big minutes?

The Celtics take a 1st half lead of 47-45.

I don't get it! In the 1st half Derek Fisher played 11:36 and World Peace played 12:12. Between them they took 5 shots. Fisher took 1 and Peace took 4. So, between them they scored 2 points. 2 points from two starting positions? That is not acceptable! Why is coach Brown insistent on playing them? Does he think that things are going to get better? Is it because of their defensive experience? Let's see, Rondo, Fisher's man scored 6 points. Pierce, Peace's man, scored 7 points.  The Celtics starters scored 33 points, with O'Neal not scoring a point.

The Lakers' starters scored 34 points, with Fisher putting up a zero and Peace putting up 2 points. In other words, the Lakers' big three scored 32 points.

How long can coach Brown go with having two starters producing so little?

The way the Lakers are playing; they're in games until the end, which means that the Lakers are good. But, they could be an elite team if they could get production from the 1 and 3 spots. That's how close the Lakers are to being a power team.

The question is this: what does coach Brown expect from Fisher and Peace? Are they, all-of-a-sudden, going to start producing? This coach seems to be holding on to something that doesn't exist in his 1 and 3 spots. What do Laker fans make of that?

This coach is putting Fisher over Goudelock for what reason? Experience? Goudelock is producing but now he has his playing time reduced to 4:45 in favor of Fisher and Blake? Blake played 14:23 and scored 3 points in the 1st half. Where is the logic in this man's rotations?
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2nd Half:

The Derek Fisher trend continues. He played about 12 1/2 minutes in the 2nd half. Fisher took 6 shots in the half, and didn't make one. He finished with 0 points. Peace played about 22 minutes in the 2nd half and took 2 shots and didn't make either. The total points these two players had in the 1st half is what they ended the game with. Fisher had 0 points and Peace had 2 points. That's 2 points for two starting positions.

A few days ago, Kobe Bryant said that the Lakers margin of error was very short. Tonight's game they came away with a victory, but it could have easily been a loss. But, the way the Lakers lose on the road, those losses could easily be wins, too. That's how close the Lakers are from being who they are right now, and being an elite team.

No way the Lakers can continue with Fisher and Peace as they are. This margin of error will only lead to a .500 ball club.

Then there's the return of Steve Blake. He had 5 points in almost 32 minutes of playing time. Caught in the numbers game is Andrew Goudelock, who was producing. Now, with the return of Blake, and coach Brown's insistence on playing Fisher, the Lakers lose the production of Goudelock. Where is the logic in this coach's thinking?

The Lakers have to face the music. Fisher and Peace are offensively dead. This coach wants to go with veterans, which seems like the logical thing to do. But, how can ride two non-productive players? Especially at the 1 spot. Goudelock's production is way better than Fisher's and Blake's. This coach has got to come to terms with the fact that the Lakers can't cut Goudelock's out just because Fisher and Blake are veterans. It doesn't make sense. This coach doesn't make sense.

There was a lot of objection to the hiring of coach Brown as the Lakers' coach, but I supported the hiring because I thought he was a winner. But, this guy is showing himself to be confused about who is producing and who is dead weight.

My question to coach Brown is the same as my question to President Obama, which is: what the hell are you doing?

mike t.